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ISB 341 

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.^ 



Shelf ./&? 2b 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



HOV TO GROW 

ONIONS; 



WITH NOTES ON VARIETIES. 



k^^ BY 

T/GEEINER, of New Jersey, 



AND 



Col. C. H. ARLIE, of Oregon, 



EDITED BY 

W. ATLEE BURPEE. 



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JAN 9 



Washvn^ 



1888. 

PUBLISHED BY 

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., Seed Growers, 

Nos. 475 AND 477 Noeth Fifth Steeet, 
Nos. 476 AND 478 Yoek Avenue, 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 






Copyrighted, 1887, 
By W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO. 



PRESS OF WM. F. FELL & CO., 
1220-24 SANSOM ST., PHILADELPHIA. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Editor's Preface, . . vii 

Onions and How to Grow Them, 9 

Soil, 10 

Manure, . 11 

Preparation of the Soil, 12 

Seed, 13 

Sowing the Seed, 14 

Amount of Seed per Acre, 15 

Rolling, 15 

Cultivation, 16 

Hand Weeding, 17 

Injurious Insects, 18 

Thinning, 19 

Harvesting the Crop, 19 

Marketing, 20 

Wintering, 20 

Varieties, 21 

Onion Culture by Irrigation, 23 

Kinds of Soil, 24 

Varieties, 27 

Planting, 30 

Cultivation, 33 

Harvesting, 36 

Storing for Winter, 37 

The Importance of Good Seed, 39 

General Ptemarks, 40 

Irrigation, 41 

V 



VI 



CONTENTS. 



Varieties of Onions, 

American Onions — 

Round Yellow Danvers, . .... 

Yellow Globe Danvers, 

Yellow Strasburg, or Dutch, 

Southport Large Yellow Globe, 

Large Red Wethersfield, 

Extra Early Red, 

Large Red Globe, 

Large White Globe, or Southport White Globe Onion, 

White Silver Skin, or White Portugal, . 

Hard, Round, Silver Skin, 

Italian Onions — 

Eailiest White Queen, 

Golden Queen, or Golden Gem, 
Silver White Etna, or Extra Early Pearl, . 
Pale Red Etna, or Red Pearl, .... 
Neapolitan Marzajole, .... 

Giant Rocca, of Naples, 

Giant Red Rocca, 

Giant Yellow Rocca, or Golden Globe Tripoli, 
Giant White Rocca, or Silver Ball, 
Giant White Italian Tripoli, .... 
Red Mammoth Tripoli, or Bermuda Red, . 
Burpee's Mammoth Silver King, 
Mammoth Pompeii, 



Onion Sets, . . . . . 

Varieties and Amount of Seed to be Sown, 
Manufacture of Storage Crates, 
Cleaning and Sorting, 



PAGE 

47 



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4:9 

49 
49 
49 
51 
51 
51 
51 
62 

54 
54 
54 
66 
56 
66 
69 
69 
69 
69 
59 
59 
61 

64 
66 
68 
71 



EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



The offer in Burpee's Farm Annual for 1887, 
of cash prizes (first prize $25 ; second prize $15) 
for the best essay on How to Grow Onions, 
brought forth much interesting competition. There 
were received a number of good essays, evidently 
written by growers of experience, but of all these 
the best two are published in this volume. After re- 
peated readings,we were still undecided to whom be- 
longed the first prize. Finally, we surmounted the 
difficulty by omitting the second prize altogether, 
and awarding first prizes (each of like amount, 
$25) to both CoL. C. H. Arlie, of Lakeview, Ore- 
gon, and Mr. T. Greiner, of Monmouth County, 
New Jersey. We feel quite sure that the reader 
will agree with us in this decision. Both writers 
have handled the subject very ably, and fortu- 
nately each enters more into detail where the other 
writes more in general. Both writers are men of 
extended experience as Onion Growers, and the 
two essays give all needed information upon the 
successful growing of this most important crop. 

vii 



VIU EDITOR S PREFACE. 

We have appended an article on the growing of 
sets, and also detailed descriptions, with illustra- 
tions of the varieties of American and Italian 
Onions. 

Mr. Greiner, at present Editor of The Orchard 
and Garden, was known for many years as a large 
grower of Onions in the State of New York, and 
his essay will be highly valued by our readers. 
And yet were it not for Col. Arlie writing from 
the Northwest, our Western readers would miss 
much needed advice, while growers in the East 
and South can also profit by the record of his ex- 
perience. Col. Arlie's chapter upon irrigation will 
be found particularly instructive. 

W. Atlee Burpee. 

Philadelphia, December 1st, 1887. 



ONIOIfS 



AND 



HOW TO GROW THEM 



WITH NOTES ON VARIETIES. 



BY T. GREINER, MONMOUTH CO., N. J. 

With perhaps the only exceptions of celery and 
asparagus, there is no crop of the farm garden 
more exacting in its requirements as to food and 
attendance, or more remunerative when well 
managed, than that of onions from seed. The 
territory where this vegetable can be grown suc- 
cessfully extends almost over every State in the 
Union, and in all localities where the crop meets 
with ready sale at prices approaching or exceed- 
ing $1.00 per bushel it offers to the skilled grower 
one of the best chances to get a relatively large 
amount of money from a small piece of land. On 
the other hand, when mismanaged, it leaves a 
chance for considerable loss. A large crop must 

9 



10 oxioxs ; 

be the grower's aim, as average crops hardly ever 
leave much margin of profit. The efforts should 
not be spread over so large an area that the avail- 
able working forces might at any time be un- 
equal to the task of doing all the work thoroughly 
and just at the time when needed. This is the 
point where the novice often makes a mistake, 
the sure consequence of which is partial or entire 
failure and disgust with the business. 

Six hundred bushels to the acre is not an un- 
usually large crop; eight hundred bushels and 
upward are frequently grown by good market 
gardeners, and I could tell a still bigger story 
from my own experience. 

SOIL. 

A satisfactory crop can be grown on almost any 
soil, provided it be well filled with vegetable 
matter (humus), well fertilized, and thoroughly 
drained. These requisites are indispensable. For 
the North, however, I would prefer soil in which 
sand predominates; for the South the heavier, 
cooler soil of the river bottoms. Well-drained, 
well-subdued muck lands generally offer every 
condition of full success everywhere. To avoid 
an unnecessary increase of the already large 
amount of labor which the crop requires, the soil 
should be free from stones, coarse gravel, rubbish, 
and especially from foul weeds and weed seeds. 
There is nothing to hinder planting the same 
piece to onions for many years in succession. 



HOW TO GROW THEM. 11 

MANUEE. 

Eighty two-horse loads of the best compost per 
acre is not an excessive quan-tity. Very rich 
garden soils, however, which have been heavily 
manured year after year for some time previously, 
will produce one or two large crops with no other 
fertilizer except nitrate of soda, applied in two or 
three rations, at the rate of from 600 to 750 pounds 
per acre in the aggregate. Most muck lands can 
dispense with stable manure, and will raise a 
respectable crop with none but " commercial fer- 
tilizers." On such soils a good superphosphate 
may be applied at the rate of 1500 or more 
pounds per acre, but it is always advisable to 
supplement it with potash, best in the form of 
unleached wood ashes. If such are used freely, 
say at the rate of 100 bushels or more per acre, a 
smaller quantity of superphosphate than without 
it may be sufficient. The special "onion ma- 
nures " advertised by many of our fertilizer 
manufacturers contain all the elements of plant 
food, and can be used freely and with entire con- 
fidence. Near the sea coast onion growers find 
one of the best of available manures in seaweed 
composted with stable manure. Horse manure 
from city stables, which is almost free from litter, 
generally gives good results, and so does hen 
manure, especially when composted and applied 
as a top dressing. For obvious reasons, all 
manure used on the onion field should be en- 
tirely free from weed seeds. Manure which is in 



12 ONIONS; 

the least coarse must be plowed in. If well 
decomposed and broken up fine, I would prefer 
to have it thoroughly mixed with the surface soil, 
by means of cultivator or harrow, or both. 

When the bulbs are about half grown the 
plant food in the soil generally becomes partly 
exhausted. A top dressing of ashes, phosphate or 
other manure at this time will help to bring the 
crop to perfection, and should not be neglected. 

PEEPARATIOX OF THE SOIL. 

A crop of carrots, parsnips or other clo^e- 
planted vegetable fits the ground admirably for 
a succeeding crop of onions. Any farmer who 
knows how to j)repare a field for wheat in the 
most thorough manner will find no difficulty in 
preparing an onion-seed bed properly. The 
ground had best be plowed in the fall, and thus 
exposed to the winter's frosts. At the very ear- 
liest date in spring that the land will bear working 
(March being preferable to April, and April to 
May, even in the colder portions of the United 
States) spread the compost thickly over the field, 
and at once either plow again, or (what is gener- 
ally the better plan) mix it thoroughly wdth the 
surface soil by means of a suitable cultivator. 
Then apply a top dressing of hen manure, wood 
ashes, superphosphate, muriate of potash or 
whatever there is at hand for the purpose, harrow 
thoroughly, roll and harrow again, repeating, if 
necessary, until the soil presents a perfectly 



HOW TO GROW THEM. 13 

smooth and even surface, free from lumps. In 
some cases, especially when the soil is stony or 
encumbered with rubbish, it may be advisable to 
apply the " finishing touch " with a garden rake, 
leaving stones and rubbish in straight windrows 
running in the same direction intended for the 
onion rows. On most soils, however, this incon- 
venient job can easily be avoided. 

SEED. 

With onions, more than with any other vege- 
table, cauliflower only excepted, the outcome 
depends largely on the seed. Good seed alone can 
bring a glad harvest. Onion seed should be 
strictly fresh, for its germinating powers are 
greatly weakened (if not lost) and always un- 
reliable the second season.* It should be ob- 
tained from a reliable grower or dealer, for there 
is always a large stock of poor, worse than worth- 
less, seed in the market. Cheapness in onion seed 
carries with it a suspicion of inferiority. The 
grower can ill afford to run risks for the sake of 



*We have found, by repeated tests, that first-class samples of onion 
seed, carefully stored in our warehouse, germinate well the second 
season and frequently retain their vitality perfectly. All the seed 
should be purchased, however, long enough in advance to permit a 
personal test by the grower, whether there is doubt in the mind of the 
purchaser or not; thus all risk as to vitality is avoided. The germi- 
nating qualities depend largely on the weight and plump body of the 
seed, as when there has been a poor season for perfecting the seed, we 
have found seed a year old to have better germinating qualities than 
the new crop. — Ed. 



14 ONIONS ; 

saving a few dollars when he has hundreds at 
stake in his prospective onion crop. By all means 
go sure ; pay a good price and plant good seed. 

SOWING THE SEED. 

Just as soon as the ground is in readiness, and 
while the surface is yet fresh and moist, the seed 
should be sown. This, though quite a simple 
operation, requires care. The leading implements 
used for the purpose are Matthews' Garden Drill 
and Planet Jr. Seed Sower.* With one of these, 
one man can sow an acre of onions per day w^ith 
the greatest ease. It is only necessary to set the 
drill properly for the kind of seed to be sown, and 
to learn how to manage it, paying attention that 
the seed continues to run freely. Sometimes the 
hopper becomes clogged, or the seed tube filled 
up with soil or rubbish, and if not noticed and 
remedied, whole rows may be skipped in sowing, 
to the great annoyance and loss of the grower. 

I myself, and perhaps every expert gardener, 
can sow seed by hand in light furrows made with 
a hand marker just as regularly as can be done by 
means of the drill, which latter, however, is greatly 
to be preferred for larger jobs. 

Let the rows run the long way of the field. 
Mark off the first row or stretch a line. Straight- 



*Tho seed drill should be a drill simply; the combined implements, 
with hoeing and weeding attachments, are not only more expensive, 
but are also much more liable to get out of order. — Ed. 



HOW TO GROW THEM. 15 

ness of the rows adds to the attractiveness of the 
field and increases the grower's interest in his 
work. The rows should be close (in order to get 
the largest crop obtainable), yet not too close 
for ease and convenience in cultivation. Sixteen 
inches is just about right. 

AMOUNT OF SEED PER ACRE. 

For soils which are in a perfect state of prepa- 
ration, especially if of a moist, mucky character, 
three pounds of water-cleaned seed are a suffi- 
ciency, but it will be safer for the novice to sow 
four pounds. On uplands, especially if somewhat 
stony, lumpy or liable to " bake," or otherwise not 
in first-class order, a still greater amount of seed — 
up to six pounds and more — should be used, in 
order to avoid risks. I, for my part, however, 
would not undertake to raise onions, were I com- 
pelled to plant on soil the condition of which 
makes the use of six or eight pounds of seed 
necessary. 

ROLLING. 

Running a hand garden roller over every row 
after sowing the seed is not strictly necessary, but 
advisable, especially when the soil was not in a 
perfect state of preparation.* It insures prompt 
germination in all cases. 



* Too much stress cannot be laid upon the use of the roller in all 
seed sowinor. — Ed. 



16 ONIONS; 

CULTIVATION. 

The fight against weeds must commence in 
good earnest at the very moment when the plants 
appear above ground, so that the rows can be 
seen. A good wheel hoe or hand cultivator is 
indispensable in the onion field. I prefer Ruhl- 
man's Wheel Hoe or Gregory's Finger Weeder; 
but Matthews' Improved Hand Cultivator, Planet 
Jr. Hand Hoe or the Gem Hand Wheel Hoe are 
all good tools, and either of them will answer the 
purpose. It is generally advisable to go twice in 
a row at each cultivation, once close to the plants 
at the right, the second time close to the plants 
at the left. This disposes of all the weeds just 
sprouting between the rows and loosens the 
surface. The operation may be repeated once a 
week all through the season, to advantage ; and it 
must be done at least often enough to prevent all 
w^eed growth. 

It is to he deplored that the large majority of our 
market gardeners as yet stubbondy refuse to substitute 
the modern wheel hoe for the old-fashioned hand hoe, 
and thus carelessly throw aside the much-needed op- 
portunity of reducing their labor account one-half. 
The possession of one or more of the modern " iveed 
slayers" pids in our hands the power to banish the 
weeds from our gardens and truck patches almost 
entirely, and at an inconsiderable cost compared with 
what it used to be.^ 

*This should have the strongest commendation; these implements 
not only kill the weeds, but work the soil into a fine, loose tilth, and, by 



HOW TO GROW THEM. 17 

HAND WEEDING. 

The cultivator has left the rows of plants them- 
selves untouched, and they now appear as strips 
from one to two inches in width. Weed growth 
on these must be prevented, requiring often con- 
siderable work on hands and knees. Drawing a 
steel rake across the row is a satisfactory way of 
breaking the crust and disturbing the weeds just 
sprouting, for some soils, but not practicable on 
all. Considerable hand weeding is required in 
every onion field. 

I have sometimes employed young boys to do 
the weeding ; but it is only in rare cases that we 
meet with a bright youngster who does the work 
well and expeditiously. Such a one is a treasure, 
and should properly be humored, while all other 
chaps who sHght their job should not be allowed 
to remain in the patch. It does not pay cost to 
hire unintelligent labor. Good, willing work- 
men, who receive fair wages, do the work as 
cheaply and very much better than the average heed- 
less youngsters. 

Each man is to be provided with a good hand 
weeder, such as Laing's or Haseltine^s, or with a 
gardener's trowel or common iron spoon. Down 
goes the whole working force on hands and knees, 
each man a-straddle of one row, but skipping every 
other row for the sake of allowing plenty of room 



the admission of air to the roots and undersoil, double the value of the 
manure. — Ed. 
2 



18 onions; 

to work. The soil is now carefully scraped away 
from the plants at each side, and remaining weeds 
must be removed with the fingers or the edge or 
corner of the implement in use. When done, the 
row is entirely free from every vestige of weed, 
and the crust thoroughly broken up."^ On the 
" return trips " the skipped rows receive the same 
treatment. The hand weeding will have to be 
repeated at least once, oftener twice, and in some 
cases even more times ; certainly, however, as often 
as weeds appear among the onions. 

INJUEIOUS INSECTS. 

The onion maggot (larva of onion fly) does 
much damage to the onion crop in some localities. 
In May or June the fly deposits its eggs on the 
leaves near the surface of the ground. The mag- 
gots soon hatch and descend to the base of the 

* Wo -would suggest that the amount of hand weeding may 
be lessened by each skilled hand being supplied with a good steel hoe, 
the blade of which is not more than 1 J inches broad and sharpened on 
the grindstone twice a day when in use, with which to run over the row 
both in weeding and in thinning. The belt of two or three inches left 
by the cultivator can thus be reduced to the actual span taken up by 
the young plants. The thinning process can also be successfully done 
by this narrow implement ; thus, while not superseding altogether the 
hand weeding it does away with at least three-quarters of the *' hands 
and knees " work. Of course this can only be accomplished by the 
skilled and careful laborer. We would also recommend, where the rows 
are far enough apart, Lee's Horse Hoe, designed and patented by a 
Philadelphia market gardener for cultivating onions ; it has broad hoes, 
which are turned at the sides, and which, by a steady hand, can be 
worked within one inch of the row without throwing dirt upon the row 
of young seedlings. — Ed. 



HOW TO GROW THEM. l9 

young bulb, where they feed for about two weeks. 
The attacked onions turn yellow, and should bo 
carefully lifted out of the ground, maggots and all, 
and destroyed. This will head off the second 
brood. The application of air-slacked lime close 
to the plants is recommended as a reasonably sure 
remedy. So is that of fresh gas lime. 

THINNING. 

Onions stand crowding pretty well ; but over- 
crowding must result in uneven and inferior size 
of the bulbs. At the second weeding the plants 
had best be thinned to stand about two inches 
apart in the row, leaving the strongest plants and 
removing the weaker ones. 

HARVESTING THE CROP. 

In July or August, when the tops have died 
down, the crop is ready for harvesting. The bulbs 
can be pulled up by hand, leaving them in wind- 
rows to cure. The same object can often be accom- 
plished much easier and quicker by drawing a 
wooden rake across the rows, leaving the product 
of three or four rows in a windrow, asmentioned. 
The work of " pulling " requires little skill, and 
youngsters may be employed to good advantage. 

When thus left in windrows for a few days, the 
tops dry and generally waste away. The bulbs are 
then picked and sorted over, the remnants of tops 
twisted or cut off, and the crop sold right out of 
the field or stored under shelter. 



20 ONIONS ; 

MARKETING. 

•Careful sorting and grading is of much less im- 
portance in the local markets than in the large 
city market. I have had occasion to watch the 
commission stands in the cities, and to observe 
that the barrel containing bulbs all of an even 
size (which makes the lot attractive) will sell more 
readily and always at a higher figure than the 
barrel holding a mixture of all sizes. Carefully 
grading the crop before putting them in barrels 
for shipment, is necessary to realize the highest 
market price. The work of sorting and grading 
pays as well as any other labor in connection 
with the business. 

WINTERING. 

The best advice I could give to the novice vis : 
Don't attempt to winter so perishable an article as 
onions 1 Considerable loss can seldom be avoided 
at best. Sell the crop in the fall, as early as prac- 
ticable, and thus avoid much loss from shrinkage 
and rot. Still, there are various ways of wintering 
onions successfully. They can be pitted like 
apples, covering somewhat more lightly and leav- 
ing a chance for ventilation at the top. Or they 
can be spread in a dry loft, piled up a foot or more 
high, and at the approach of severe weather cov- 
ered with straw, hay or matting. Light freezing 
does not hurt them, if they are allowed to thaw 
gradually and not handled while frozen ; but if 
exposed to a temperature lower than 15° above 



HOW TO GROW THEM. 



21 



zero, they are liable to rot. I have frequently 
wintered onions in slitted barrels and in crates 
and baskets in the cellar quite successfully. 





WHITE GLOBE ONION. 



EA.KLY WHITE QUEEN. 



VARIETIES. 

For the market gardener at the North and in 
many localities further South, no varieties of their 
respective color combine more good points than 
Yellow Danvers (with its various strains), Bed Weth- 
ersfield and ]VJiite Globe. All these attain large 
size, are very reliable for bottoming, productive 
and popular in the markets. White Globe is su- 
perlatively handsome, but ought to be cured 
under shelter, in order to preserve its clean, white, 
attractive appearance. 

Other varieties popular with market gardeners 
are Extra Early Bed, which is quite early, of 
medium size, solid and often profitable in cold, 
mucky soils at the North ; Large Bed Globe and 



22 onions; how to grow them. 

Southport Large Yellow Globe, which resemble 
White Globe in ahnost every feature except color ; 
Yellow Dutch or Yellow Strasburg, a good keeper 
and quite prolific, but undoubtedly inferior to Yel- 
low Danvers; and WJiite Silver Skin or Mliite Portu- 
gal, largely used for pickling and for "white sets." 
Among the new Italian onions, we find many 
especially adapted for the South. Of them I will 
mention the various strains of the Giant Rocca, 
the Giant Wiite Tripoli and Red Mammoth Tripoli 
or Bermuda Red, all of which are of very large size. 
The new Mammoth Silver King and Mammoth Pom- 
peii produce the largest bulbs of all varieties now 
known. New Queen, on the other hand, is quite 
small, but its extreme earliness, its beauty and 
keeping qualities render it altogether a desirable 
sort for many purposes. 



ONION CULTURE 



BY 



IRRIGATION. 



BY COL. C. H. AEUE, OF OREGON. 

In treating this subject I shall relate my ex- 
perience and observation, and howeyer this may 
differ from the practice of others, I shall still 
have the assurance that the methods herein de- 
scribed are practical and not theoretical. 

The minuteness of detail may seem to the ex- 
perienced like going over common ground, but 
let the older heads bear in mind that the "A B 
C's" are difficult to the beginner; and the tyro 
in onion culture may easily magnify a molehill 
of difficulty into a mountain. 

It shall be the aim of the writer to give direc- 
tions sufficiently plain and full, so that a man 
who did not know enough about onions to tell 
whether he had to dig down in the ground for 
the seed or climb up in the tree and shake them, 

23 



24 ONION CULTURE 

could set about, with some degree of intelligence, 
to grow a crop of onions. 

1. Kinds of Soil. 

2. Preparation of Ground. 

3. Tarieties. 

4. Planting" the Seed. 

5. Cultivation. 

6. HarTesting" the Crop. 

7. Storing- for Winter. 

8. The Importance of Good Seed. 

9. General Remarks. 
10, Irrigation. 

KINDS OF SOIL. 

It is probable that the onion will succeed under 
a wider range of soils and conditions than is sup- 
posed by a great many. I do not lay so much 
stress upon the particular kind of soil as upon the 
preparation of the ground and the subsequent 
treatment of the crop. 

It is the general experience of onion growers, 
however, that a rich, sandy loam is to be preferred. 
Too much sand is not desirable, from the fact that 
such soil would lack the requisite strength; and 
clay or " sticky " land is to be avoided. Onions, 
to do their best, require a great deal of nourish- 
ment, and they should accordingly be planted on 
your richest, strongest-growing soil — ^provided it 
is not naturally wet land. In the extreme West 
onions are grown successfully on "Sage-brush" 
land. Nearly all of this is of a sandy nature, not 



BY IRRIGATIOJS^. 25 

calculated to withstand drought, but producing 
fine crops where irrigated and properly fertilized. 
Land that is naturally moist, as, for instance, the 
edge of meadows, might grow a crop all right to 
start wdth, but the chances are that they would be 
late in maturing and that a large portion of them 
would run to "stiff-necks" or scallions. (Please 
pronounce this " scallions " and not " scullions," 
as it is frequently called.) 

We will now suppose that we are about to plant 
a piece of ground that has never been in onions 
before. From the smallness of the young plants 
and the tediousness of cultivation it will be ap- 
parent that it is of the utmost importance to keep 
the ground as free from weeds as possible during 
the previous year. For this purpose we select an 
acre of land that is as nearly level as may be. In 
the spring we will seed it to carrots, or parsnips, 
or potatoes, and cultivate thoroughly enough to 
prevent any weeds from seeding. It is claimed 
by some that carrots are the best crop to precede 
onions ; not only from their going deep into the 
ground and mellowing the soil, but also owing to 
their beneficial effect on the ensuing crop. Some 
recommend corn, but this leaves a large amount 
of rubbish to be removed in the way of roots. 

When this crop is harvested in the fall, we rake 
up and burn or cart off all the litter that can be 
gathered with a garden rake. Just before freezing 
weather sets in, the land is plowed to a moderate 
depth. We now go on to it with a lute (a plank 



26 ONION CULTURE 

scraper, five or six feet wide, with plow handles, 
similar to what is used on a brickyard), and if the 
ground is rather uneven we take, in addition, a 
common two-horse road scraper. Wherever there 
is a bump or an elevation it is cut down and filled 
into the nearest hollow. After the roughest of 
the work is done in this manner, we lay the 
ground off in imaginary beds, say ten or twelve 
feet wide, and running lengthwise with a very 
slight incline. After passing over it with the 
lute, which acts as a leveler and clod crusher, we 
can detect swells and hollows that were not notice- 
able before. When it is thoroughly leveled, we 
next apply well-rotted manure, at the rate of 
thirty loads to the acre.* Before applying this 
manure, if the ground is not free from lumps 
it should be plowed and harrowed until well 
"fined." This may be horse manure or a com- 
bination of the various kinds usually found in 
barnyard manure, but it should be well rotted, 
thoroughly pulverized and free from trash and 
lumps that would interfere with the working of 
the seed drill. After spreading the manure as 
evenly as possible, the ground is again plowed to 
an ordinary depth, at the same time following in 
the furrow with a " subsoil " plow. This loosens 
up the ground to a depth of twelve inches or 
more without bringing the under soil to the sur- 



* Even double this quantity of manure per acre can be profitably 
applied. — Ed. 



BY IRRIGATION. 27 

face — a thing which is to be avoided in onion 
culture. If it were in the spring, the ground 
would be harrowed and cross-harrowed thoroughly 
with an "Acme" harrow. But on fall plowing 
we want the ground as much as possible exposed 
to the action of the frost through the winter, 
and for this reason it is not harrowed. When 
spring comes, the ground is simply harrowed and 
worked up with a rake. 

VARIETIES. 

There are several varieties of onions, the three 
distinct types of which are red, white and yellow. 
Among the red varieties the two best known and 
most generally cultivated are the Red Wethers- 
field and the Extra Early Red. The Wethers- 
field is a large, coarse-grained onion that is 
extensively grown in many sections, and on 
congenial soil produces a heavy crop. The 
Extra Early Red is smaller and earlier than the 
Wethersfield, and a much more reliable " bot- 
tomer." It is, probably, the surest onion when 
the seasons are very short. There is also the 
Red Globe, similar to the others in color, but 
round in shape; not quite so large as the Weth- 
ersfield, but a fine appearing onion, and I believe 
a more reliable variety than the latter. These are 
all different types of the same onion, bred up with 
some particular end in idew. 

Of yellow varieties, the most popular are the 
Large Yellow Strasburg and Danvers Yellow. 



28 ONION CULTURE 

(The term silverskin is in some places incorrectly 
applied to pale yellow varieties, and in other 
localities it means a pure white.) The Strashurg 
was formerly cultivated largely, but the Danvers 
has superseded it to a great extent. Most of the 
white varieties are of foreign introduction and are 
not considered so hardy and vigorous as the 
others. The best deserving of mention are the 
White Globe and Silverskin or White Port- 
ugal. The white onions when properly cured 
present a handsome appearance for market, but 
they have a delicate skin, requiring care in cur- 
ing and handling, and their cultivation is con- 
fined more particularly to the Southern States and 
California.* 

The market will determine the choice of variety 
to a certain extent, but it is safe to say that the 
great bulk of the onion crop in the United States 
is grown from the Danvers Yellow and the Red 
Wethersfield. It is claimed that in some markets 
the Wethersfield is preferred, but for my own part, 
if I had to confine myself to one variety, I should 
take the Yellow Danvers in preference to any 
other. They are a reliable onion to bottom, while 
the Wethersfield, on some soils, shows a strong 



* We must differ with Col. Arlie on this point, as white onions 
are very successfully grown in the Middle and Eastern States. In our 
Philadelphia markets they sell the most readily and bring the highest 
prices. They are, however, very uncertain seed bearers, and the seed is 
always considerably higher in price than the red and yellow varieties. 
—Ed. 



BY IRRIGATION. 



29 




EXTRA EARLY RED ONION. 




30 ONION CULTURE 

tendency to scallions. The Dan vers is a splendid 
winter keeper (given the preference by many 
dealers over any other) ; it presents a finer appear- 
ance in the sack than the Wethersfield, and in 
nearly all the Western markets it is quoted above 
the red varieties. 

Of the red varieties, the Extra Early Red is gen- 
erally preferred on account of its early maturity. 
But, whatever the variety, do not plant cheap 
seed. Buy the best that you can get. 

PLANTING. 

As soon in the spring as the ground is in work- 
ing condition seeding begins. Do not be afraid 
of getting them in too early. For this purpose I 
use a "Planet Jr." drill.* 

The choice of a drill is perhaps largely a matter 
of early training. The two most common drills 
in use are Matthews' and the Planet Jr., both of 
which are good machines. I have always used 
the Planet Jr., and find it satisfactory in every 
way. The ground should be hand-raked to make 
it as fine as possible, and as fast as one bed is pre- 
pared it should be seeded before allowing time for 
the finely fertilized surface to dry out any. 



* Nearly all Eastern seedsmen keep on hand or furnish these drills. 
" Planet Jr." or Matthews' Combined drill cost in the East, $12.00 ; on 
the Pacific Coast, $15.00. These will sow nearly all vegetable seeds 
that can be drilled. For onion culture on a large scale there are drills 
made expressly for onion seed ; dropping and covering two rows at a 
time. Such, for instance, as " Holbrook'.s" or " Hill & Jennings'." 



BY IRRIGATION. 31 

Set your drill to cover the seed three-fourths of an 
inch deep.* Some will tell you to cover one-fourth 
of an inch deep, but when they talk that way to 
you heed them not. I shall hereafter put mine 
in one inch. Put the rows fourteen inches apart 
and be careful to get the first row straight, because 
all the others will be gauged by it. But whether 
straight or crooked, be careful to maintain the 
same distance between the rows all the time. The 
necessity for this is apparent when you come to 



* It should be borne in mind that the practice of growers in different 
sections varies widely. To illustrate : Mr. W. H. White, of West- 
borough, Mass., says : " If the seed is in every respect good, three 
pounds are sufficient for an acre ; " while Mr. W. H. Ball, of Springfield, 
Mo., says : " I drill the seed in one foot apart, using six pounds of 
seed to the acre," and then adds : " We never thin onions." 

And one grower wants them in one-fourth inch deep, while another 
insists on putting them down one inch. One reason why many growers 
sow them so shallow, perhaps, comes from the old practice of sowing 
broadcast, like ruta bagas. Then, again, some claim that, in order to 
bottom well, the bulb of the onion should be entirely above ground, 
like a turnip. 

I am not sure of this. People in the West, where irrigation is 
practiced, get a great many ideas from experience that were not 
dreamed of in the East. For instance, it might surprise some Eastern 
gardeners to see corn and peas plowed in to a depth of six inches ; and 
I have seen onion seed put into a furrow that had been made by a 
plow to the wheel hoe (and even with a " single-shovel " plow), and 
then covered with a hand hoe. It would seem that the seed in this 
case must have been down at least two and possibly three inches. 

A drying wind for a short time, or a few days of hot weather, will 
easily absorb the moisture to a depth of one-fourth inch, and if the 
seed are only down that deep, a great many are liable to perish for 
want of moisture just as they sprout. Whereas, if they had been down 
an inch they could get well rooted before the ground dried to that 
depth. I am done with this " surface " planting. — Author. 



32 ONION CULTURE 

cultivate ; because your wheel hoe is set to cut a 
certain width, and if the rows crowd together in 
places, the hoe will cut out the plants wherever the 
space narrow^s down. The roller will probably 
press the earth down sufficiently without any 
further work. I am aware that some writers lay 
great stress upon "firming the soil;" and it is 
doubtless a good plan where the ground is dry, 
but judgment must be used, as, if there is much 
moisture in the ground, there is a liability of pack- 
ing it too much. * 

In one season I put in a crop on the 17th 
of April. The ground, after having been hand- 
raked, had laid a week, so that the moist- 
ure seemed to be all out of it. In addition to 
this, the roller attachment to the drill was miss- 
ing, so that the soil that covered the seed was 
sifted on to it in the loosest possible manner. 
Expecting to have to irrigate in order to sprout the 
seed, I did not firm the soil in the least. Shortly 
after the seeding was finished, the ground was 
covered with a coat of snow, and in fourteen days 
from time of planting, some of the seed began to 
break through. Rolling could not have brought 
the seed any quicker. Of course, if the snow had 



* Would it not be very injudicious to sow seed when tlie ground is 
too wet and sticky to roll f The drill would not work well in such soil ; 
wherever the sower stepped it would become packed and hard, as much 
as if passed over by the roller. The rolling packs the soil firmly 
around the seed on all sides ; if left to lie in a hollow space, the seed 
would be apt to become too wet and rot ofiF. — Ed. 



BY IRRIGATION. 33 

not fallen, the seed would not have sprouted. But 
without any moisture in the ground, rolling could 
not have sprouted them.* Then, again, one 
spring I had put in some seed for sets, and think- 
ing to retain the moisture in the soil I hoed the 
rows while the ground was wet. This, of course, 
was wrong, and packed the ground so that not 
more than one-third of the seed came. 

CULTIVATION. 

About fifteen or twenty days after seeding, the 
plants will begin to show themselves, and just as 
soon as you can trace the rows distinctly, go into 
them with the wheel hoes. For this purpose I 
use " Planet Jr." double-wheel hoe and " Ruhl- 
man's " single-wheel hoe. The single-wheel hoe 
runs between the rows, while the double-wheel 
straddles them and cuts on both sides. For the 
special purpose for which "Ruhlman's" hoe is 
intended, it is superior to the " Planet Jr.," but 
for the first cultivation and while the plants 
are small I prefer the " Planet Jr." The hoe 
blades can be adjusted so as to throw the earth 
slightly away from the plants, and thus admit of 
very early and close cultivation. Some go through 



* We must differ with Col. Arlie here, as in a dry season, " firming 
the soil " certainly increases the chances of the seed germinating suc- 
cessfully. Did not the weight of snow serve to lightly firm the soil? 
Of course, sowing so wet, if the ground had been gone over with a heavy 
roller, it would have become solid and hard. But is it judicious to 
plant in such wet ground, though this was an accidental success ? — Ed. 
3 



34 ONION CULTUKE 

the onions the first time with a scufile hoe, but I 
see no necessity for this, inasmuch as the wheel 
hoe can be used without covering or disturbing the 
young plants. But, whatever you use, go at it just 
as soon as the weeds can be seen. Don't wait for 
the seeds to start. No matter how brave you feel, 
it is not policy to give weeds any advantage. And 
whenever you let them get their heads above 
ground, they are gaining just so much advantage 
over the misguided agriculturist and the latest 
improved machinery. 

If there is danger of the weeds starting before 
the onions come through, you can mix about one- 
tenth turnip or radish seed with the onions at 
time of sowing. As these germinate so much 
sooner, it will enable you to trace the rows before 
the onions can be seen. If radish seeds are 
used, be careful to see that they are smaller in 
size than the onion, so as not to clog the drill.* 

For the first two months the onions should be 
cultivated every ten days. When about four 
inches high thin them to two inches in the row.f 



*■ Where no leveling attachment is used, or even where it is, it is 
frequently possible to go between the rows with the wheel hoe before 
the seeds germinate, as the soil between the rows is not disturbed by 
the drill, and the weed seeds germinate more quickly than where it has 
been stirred by the drill. Of course, there is no occasion for this where 
the soil is as free from weed seeds as it should be, nor where the 
ground has all been freshly worked immediately before sowing. The 
sowing of the other seeds is quite an original suggestion, but would 
make trouble if not immediately thinned out. — Ed. 

1 1 believe it is not the general custom in the East to thin onions. 



BY IRRIGATION, 35 

At the same time go through them on your 
hands and knees with a hand weeder and remove 
all the weeds in the row that the wheel hoe can- 
not reach. For the purpose of thinning, we use 
an onion hoe (a long narrow blade with the socket 
in the center and a cutting surface on each end. 
One end cuts about two and one-half inches ; the 
reverse end about one and one-half) ; walking 
sidewise, we cut out with the narrow blade of the 
hoe most of the plants necessary to be gotten rid 
of. Then, when we go through on our hands and 
knees to weed them, we thin out the remainder by 
hand, using for this purpose " Noye's Hand Weed- 
er " * (a small diamond-shaped instrument, costing 
thirty cents). The plants should not be allowed to 
get too large before thinning, as it will disturb 
their roots. 



But I do not see how the most desirable rtsults can be attained without 
thinning. We know that if onions are planted thickly enough their 
growth will be checked so as to form sets instead of large onions. Ex- 
perience proves that two plants cannot be grown on a space just suffi- 
cient to grow one comfortably, without dwarfing the size of each. 
Then having ascertained what space is necessary, it is our business to 
give each plant room enough to develop itself. Now the first thing to 
be desired by the onion grower is a good stand. If, then, we want the 
plants to stand two inches apart, it is evident that we cannot do it by 
planting the seed that distance. We have to provide against every 
contingency of weather, worms, and defective seed, and our only safe- 
guard is to sow thickly and then thin down to the required distance. Is 
this not as true of the onion as of the watermelon or turnip ? — Author.* 
*We would recommend, as better suited to the purpose, the Excelsior 
Hand Weeder, which has five teeth, making a claw in shape of the 
fingers of the hand. It leaves the dirt finer and looser than the cutting 
edge of the Noye's Weeder, and the cost is no greater. — Ed. 



36 ONION CULTURE 

They will probably require four hand weedings, 
and the cultivation will extend over a period of 
about three months, or as long as the weeds con- 
tinue to grow. Some do not like to work among 
the onions after they begin to bottom, claiming 
that it has a tendency to make them " blast." But 
it is frequently necessary to remove weeds some 
time after they have commenced to bottom, 
"When the tops of the first onions fall over, then 
nothing more is done with them until they are 
ready to harvest. 

HARVESTING. 

When the tops have turned yellow and all dried 
up next to the bulb, the onion is ripe. As some 
time elapses between the falling of the top and 
the complete ripening of the bulb, and as a por- 
tion of the crop will be much later than the first, 
we let them stand until about time for frost.* 
The practice of rolling onions is followed by some, 
thinking it necessary to ripen the crop (i. e., roll- 
ing a barrel over the rows after they have com- 
menced to fall dow^n). If the right kind of seed is 
sown and the crop has proper attention, the 
onions are going to ripen when the time comes, 
just as surely as a melon or a potato. And if 
the seed is only fit to grow scallions, why scallions 
they will be. I have just about as much faith in 

*We would caution the reader against allowing the onions to lie on 
the ground after the tops are well dried, as, if a rain comes, they are 
apt to root again. The tops also would bo apt to rot and the onions 
become musty. — Ed. 



BY IRRIGATION. 37 

rolling onions as I have in planting them in the 
" right moon." But it is possible that, when a 
crop has been put in so late that they have 
not time to mature, rolling might hasten their 
ripening. Just to what extent, I am not pre- 
pared to say.* When the crop has ripened suffi- 
ciently, the onions are pulled, after first loosening 
under the row with a prong hoe or spading fork ; 
they are then thrown into windrows, consisting 
of three rows of onions, where they lay for one 
week. Then they are piled into rounding heaps 
of six to ten bushels and allowed to sweat for 
ten days. If thoroughly dried they are now 
ready for storage, and they can be put into win- 
ter quarters immediately, or, by covering with 
six or eight inches of straw to exclude the heat 
of the sun and prevent the repeated freezing 
and thawing, they can lay here until danger of 
freezing weather. 

STORING FOR WINTER. 

An ordinary cellar is a poor place in which to 
keep onions, from the fact that it is too moist and 
too warm. If it were perfectly dry, and the tem- 
perature could be kept at about 35°, it would 
answer finely. An onion will stand any degree 
of cold, but will not stand repeated freezing and 



* The idea in rolling is to bend over and partly break off the tops, 
so as to check the flow of nutrition from the roots into the tops, and 
confine it to increasing the size and quick ripening of the bulb. — Ed. 



38 ONION CULTURE 

thawing. If they are to be frozen at all, they 
must be kept that way until spring. And if not 
allowed to freeze, they should be kept just as near 
the freezing point as may be, in order to prevent 
their sprouting. And they must have ventilation. 

For ordinary purposes, a dry out-building with 
perfect ventilation is the most convenient for 
storage in large quantities. 

Leave the tops on and take them in from the 
field in the afternoon when they are perfectly 
dry.* 

The building in which they are to be stored 
should be so arranged that it has a free circu- 
lation of air underneath the floor. Arrange bins 
in the building from four to six feet in width and 
one foot deep, leaving a space of a foot or so next 
the outer wall. The first bin should be raised six 
inches from the floor, and the bottom of the bin 
should be composed of three-inch slats, having 
a two-inch space between each one. Now place 
good dry straw in the bottom of the bin, sufficient 
to make two inches when weighted down, and fill 
in with onions until nearly level with the top. 
Cover with straw, sufficient to exclude all light 
from the onions. Continue next layer of bins on 
top of this in same manner, leaving sufficient 
space between each layer of bins to admit a free 



*The Colonel gives no special reason for leaving the tops on. It 
would take up extra room, would make dirt, and is against all canons 
of good and neat gardening. — Ed. 



BY IRRIGATION. 39 

circulation of air. Have windows so constructed 
that the sun cannot shine into the room at any 
time. After good freezing weather has fairly set 
in, select some night when it is cold enough to 
freeze the onion solid and throw open the doors 
and windows. After this the temperature in the 
room should be kept below 32°, and only venti- 
late it when the temperature is lower than in the 
building.* In this manner the onions may be 
kept until warm weather. Let them thaw out 
with the covering on and do not handle them 
until all frost is out of them. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD SEED. 

The value attached to good onion seed by old 
growers may be a source of wonder to the inex- 
perienced, and it is oftentimes entirely overlooked 
by the beginner in the business. Let me try to 
explain why cheap onion seed is not cheap. The 
onion stalk attains a height of, say, from sixteen 
to twenty inches when fully matured. As the 
onion develops and begins to ripen, the stalk falls 
over and shrivels up at the bulb. This forms 
a ripe onion. But a certain percentage of the 
onions, although attaining fair size, will remain 
large and stiff around the neck, constituting a 
" stiff neck " or scallion. The scallion, although 
good to eat, will not keep through the winter, and 

* This would require keeping them till spring (until the frost is all 
out of them), when they would have to be marketed very quickly, 
though no doubt they would bring a higher price. — Ed. 



40 ONION CULTURE 

is, consequently, not marketable like a matured 
onion. Now, the onion, of all vegetables, is per- 
haps the most susceptible of being bred up to a 
high degree. If we should select the seed of 
scallions for a few years, w^e would soon get some- 
thing that w^ould grow scallions almost to a cer- 
tainty. On the other hand, if we select one of the 
earliest and best shaped onions, with a very small 
neck (when green), to propagate our seed from, 
and continue this selection for years, we will have 
a strain of seed in which the scallion is almost 
eradicated. Inasmuch as every scallion is like 
so much dead stock on the market, it is evident 
that the smaller the percentage of scallions the 
more valuable the seed to the grower. It is 
exactly this feature that makes the seed of the 
conscientious careful seedsman valuable; while 
the unscrupulous onion grower may sell all his 
marketable onions, set out his scallions next 
spring, and in the fall have a fine lot of cheap 
seed for sale. 

GENERAL REMARKS. 

In raising onions for market where the growing 
season is short, your first consideration will be 
the selection of a variety that will be certain to 
make itself during the season. The matter of 
next importance is the particular variety that is 
in greatest demand in your market. If the onion 
crop is short and prices high, anything will sell ; 
but if the market is glutted, you will find dealers 
very particular. One grower may be able to 



BY IREIGATION. 41 

work off his entire crop because he has the right 
variety, while his neighbor is unable to dispose 
of his for just the opposite reason. 

In selecting a seed drill and wheel hoe, let me 
strongly urge the advantage of a separate drill 
and cultivator, instead of buying the combined 
machine. Combined machines of any kind are 
not as good as separate ones, and the difference 
in cost is not enough to compensate for the extra 
convenience and thorough work. 

There are onion pests in some localities that 
work on the crop more or less, while in other 
localities they are practically exempt from such 
ravages. The onion maggot is very destructive in 
some places, and occasionally the "wire worm" 
does considerable damage. The wire worm does 
its work while the plants are small, and if they 
stand thickly enough the loss may not amount to 
much. 

I know of no remedy that is practical on a 
large scale for any of these pests. 

IRRIGATION. 

In irrigating, there are two methods of applying 
the water, which, as regards theory and practice, 
are entirely distinct. One is called flooding, and 
the other furrow irrigation. Flooding, as the 
name implies, means the complete covering of 
the ground by having the beds banked up so as 
to confine the water. Furrow irrigation consists 
in running the water in a small trench between 



42 ONION CULTURE 

each row of plants. For flooding, the ground 
may be laid off in beds from ten to fifteen or 
even twenty feet in wddth, and about ten rods 
long. The size of the beds will be governed, 
somewhat, by the w^ater supply. A big head of 
water can be got over much wider beds to ad- 
vantage than a small stream. 

The beds, side wise, should be perfectly level ; and 
it is better to have them level lengthwise as well, 
though they may have a slight incline. If the 
beds are level lengthwise the ground can be wet 
to any desired depth. Water may be turned on 
until it stands one inch in depth all over the bed 
— which would be equivalent to a rainfall of 
perhaps one and a half or two inches — or it may 
be turned on to a depth of six inches, according 
to the requirements of the case. If the bed has 
an incline, the lower end should be left open, 
allowing the w^ater to pass off, else that end will 
receive a great deal more water and the ground 
will probably become packed. 

The soil, of course, should have moisture enough 
in it at the time of planting to germinate the seed. 
This the operator can regulate by late fall irriga- 
ting (before plowing). 

If the ground contains an abundance of moisture 
when the seed is sown, it may not be necessary to 
irrigate for a month after the plants are up ; but 
the proper time to apply the water must be deter- 
mined by each individual case. The first applica- 
tion of water in the spring should be as light as 



BY IRRIGATION. 43 

may be, from the fact that the soil at that time is 
very loose and absorbs water much more rapidly 
than later in the season. As soon after irrigating 
as the ground begins to dry (perhaps forty-eight 
hours, more or less), and before it has had time to 
bake, it is run over with the wheel hoe, just skim- 
ming the surface. Then it is followed with the 
cultivator teeth. It then lies in this condition 
until dry enough to require another irrigating ; 
and so on through the season. This leaves the 
ground loose and mellow after each irrigating and 
thoroughly exposed to the chemical action of the 
atmosphere. It is this repeated mellowing and 
stirring of the soil that constitutes the charm and 
effectiveness of irrigation. The cultivator is not 
dependent upon the uncertainties of rain, and in- 
telligent labor receives its fullest measure of com- 
pensation. 

During the heat of the season the crop will 
need irrigating once a week and sometimes twice 
(depending a great deal upon the character of the 
soil). Toward the latter part of the season it will 
not be so particular about stirring the soil after 
each irrigating. When the first onions begin to 
fall down irrigating stops. 

For furrow irrigation, the onions are planted on 
level ground (just the same as where irrigation is 
not practiced). The rows should be laid out so as 
to have a fall of from six inches to a foot in every 
ten rods. Where the ground is quite sloping, the 
first row may be laid out with a triangle (a 



44 ONION CULTURE 

wooden frame in the shape of a letter A, measur- 
ing twelve feet from base to base and having a 
plumb-bob in the center), with a fall of one half- 
inch to every twelve feet. Then every other row 
can be run by this. If the fall is less than six 
inches to ten rods the water will be too slow in 
getting through; on the other hand, if the fall 
much exceeds twelve inches the soil will wash 
away. This season I had in a few rows where 
the fall was about three feet to ten rods ; but it 
was altogether too much. 

Now for the mode of applying the water. The 
rows should be about fourteen inches apart. Run 
the " Planet Jr." cultivator between each row, and 
the peculiar shape of the three teeth will leave a 
small furrow, at the same time not throwing 
enough dirt on either side to interfere with the 
plants. Let each one of these furrows run a very 
small stream of water, just sufficient to keep run- 
ning but not large enough to overflow its banks. 
This water passes off and must have an outlet, 
and is allowed to run in the furrows until it has 
soaked the ground to the center of the rows (per- 
haps six hours, more or less). After the ground has 
sufficiently dried it is cultivated in the same man- 
ner as described in "flooding." These furrows 
between the rows can be made with the wheel 
plow, or by running the cultivator with the three 
teeth, or they can also be made by walking back- 
ward and dragging a common hoe with one point 
digging the ground in a V shape. As to which 



BY IRRIGATION. 45 

system is the better, I think it is partly a matter 
of taste or early education. 

In Southern Colorado the flooding system is 
practiced exclusively. I believe the same is also 
true of the Mexicans through New Mexico, 
Arizona, and the Southwest, who have been 
practicing irrigation for generations. In this 
immediate vicinity furrow irrigation is generally 
followed. 

Some prefer the furrow system, claiming that it 
does not bake and pack so badly as by flooding. 
But ground that is sandy enough for onions will 
stand flooding if properly handled. Of course, it 
will not do to flood the ground and then allow it 
to dry and bake without stirring the soil. 

Theoretically, the furrow sj^stem may be better, 
but for my own part I like flooding. It is quick 
work and more evenly regulated. You can turn 
on what water you choose, cut it off*, and pass on 
to the next bed. There is no waste of water, there 
is no fertility washed away, and I believe the soil 
retains the moisture better. In flooding there is 
the disadvantage of having the space between each 
bed waste ground and constantly growing a crop 
of weeds. In furrow irrigation there is the advan- 
tage of using every foot of ground and of being 
able to put in the crop without leveling up the 
ground so much; while there is the disadvantage 
of having so much water run to waste, and a por- 
tion of the applied fertility washed away. A trial 
of each system on a small scale will best enable 



46 ONION CULTURE BY IRRIGATION. 

each grower to decide which is best for his indi- 
vidual use.* 

This article has been prepared at odd intervals 
and during evenings after a hard day's work, and 
in summing up its faults and shortcomings it is 
hoped that those who are disposed to be critical 
will take into consideration the circumstances 
under which it was composed. 



* We think the Colonel makes decidedly a good case for the flooding 
system of irrigation as advantageous over the furrow system, especially 
on the point of utilizing all the land, loater and fertilizer. In the 
furrow system a large portion of the water runs off, and must, conse- 
quently, take some of the best soil in solution, besides the danger of 
washing gullies. — Ed. 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 



BY W. ATLEE BURPEE. 



As this treatise is intended to be complete with- 
out requiring the novice to refer to seed catalogues 
for lists of varieties, we supplement the essays with 
descriptions and illustrations of the leading varie- 
ties of Onions now grown in America. These are 
divided into two classes : American Onions and 
Italian Onions. As the former are the main re- 
liance of the grower for market, we will first 
describe the varieties of the 

AMERICAN ONIONS. 
ROUND YELLOW DANVERS. 

Reliability for bottoming and large yield are 
both combined in this popular variety. It is 
extensively grown for market, and frequently 
produces six hundred bushels per acre from seed 
sown in the spring. It is a very handsome, round 
onion, of good size, with thin, yellow skin ; flesh 
white, fine-grained, firm, mild and of excellent 
quality. It ripens early, keeps well, and sells 
readily. This variety is also largely used for 
growing sets. 

47 



48 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 




YELLOW GLOBE DANVERS ONION. 




LARGE RED WETHKRSFIELD ONION. 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 49 

YELLOW GLOBE DANVERS. 

Is a selected strain of the preceding, although 
not really a distinct variety. The bulbs are thicker 
through, but not perfectly globe-shaped, like the 
Southport Yellow Globe, w^hich is a later onion to 
mature. Altogether, a good strain of seed of this 
variety is probably the best for general cultiva- 
tion either for market or the home garden — pro- 
vided only one sort is grown. It is a splendid 
keeper. In England a very similar strain is known 
as James^ Keeping Onion. 

YELLOW STRASBURG, OR DUTCH. 

One of the oldest varieties ; bulbs quite flat, 
of good size ; skin yellow ; flesh white ; of mild 
flavor; keeps well. This is the variety that 
formerly was used very extensively for growing 
Philadelphia Yellow Onion sets, and while still 
good for that purpose, it has of late years been 
nearly superseded by the Yellow Danvers. The 
skin is rather darker in color than the Danvers. 

SOUTHPORT LARGE YELLOW GLOBE. 

This is a very handsome onion, quite popular 
in the New England States. It is of large size 
and perfectly globe-shaped ; skin yellow, flesh 
white and reasonably fine grained. 

LARGE RED WETHERSFLELD. 

This rivals the Yellow Danvers in its great 
popularity, being a standard market variety in 
the Eastern and Middle States. The onions are 
4 



60 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 




SOUTIIPORT YELLOW GLOBE ONION. 




LARGE RED GLOBE ONION. 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 61 

of large size, round form, somewhat flattened, but 
thick through. Skin deep purplish red; flesh 
purplish white, moderately fine grained and of 
rather stronger flavor than the yellow onions. If 
planted on unsuitable soils it is more inclined to 
form thick necks than the Danvers, but wdien 
well grown is a very handsome, salable onion. 

EXTRA EARLY RED. 

Of flattened form, not so thick through as the 
Wethersfield, this variety matures earlier and will 
often form bulbs in cold and mucky soils where 
other varieties fail. It is highly esteemed in the 
Northwest. 

LARGE RED GLOBK 

As shown in the illustration, this is a very 
handsome variety, and is deserving of general 
cultivation. It matures quite early (none of the 
perfectly globe-shaped onions are as early as the 
flat varieties), grows to a large size ; skin deep 
red ; flesh fine-grained, mild and tender, 

LARGE WHITE GLOBE, OR SOUTHPORT WHITE GLOBE ONION. 

Of perfect globe shape; both skin and flesh are 
pure white ; fine-grained, of mild flavor. This is 
an extremely handsome onion, and commands the 
highest market price, but requires more careful 
handling than the red and yellow onions. 

WHITE SILVER SKIN, OR WHITE PORTUGAL. 

Very desirable for family use ; flavor mild and 
pleasant ; skin silvery white ; of handsome ap- 



52 VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 

pearance; highly esteemed for pickling when 
3' oung, also for market in early winter. This is the 
variety of which White Onion Sets are grown, and 
is known in New England as Philadelphia White. 

HARD, ROUND, SILVER SKIN. 

Produces uniformly small, round and hand- 
some onions, with an opaque, white skin that 
does not turn green by exposure to the sun. The 
onions are very compact and hard, but at the 
same time crisp and brittle ; altogether the best 
pickling onion. Although of foreign origin, this 
can be classed as an American Onion, and has 
lately become in large demand by pickling estab- 
lishments. 

ITALIAN ONIONS. 

Unlike most foreign varieties of onions, these 
Italian varieties bulb well in nearly all sections of 
the United States. While it is better for the 
novice in onion-growing for market to confine 
himself to the American varieties, he should 
experiment with these, and every family garden 
should be enriched by a few varieties of these 
handsome onions. As a rule, they do not keep well, 
but for summer and fall use are very desirable. 

For some years past large quantities of Italian 
onions have been raised from imported seed by 
truckers in the South. The onions command 
large prices in the Philadelphia and New York 
markets, where they sell as Bermuda and Spanish 
onions. 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 



63 




WHITE SILVE^ SKIN, OK WHITE PORTUGAL. 




HARD, ROUND, SILVER SKIN ONION. 



64 VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 

The Italian onions grow rapidly, and, except 
the Small Queen, form fine, large bulbs, weighing 
from one to one and a half pounds each, the first 
year from seed, while several of the varieties even 
exceed these weights. They are all much milder 
in flavor than our American onions. 
• 

EARLIEST WHITE QUEEN. 

The bulbs are small, flat, pure white, and of 
excellent flavor, but the principal recommenda- 
tion is the marvelous rapidity of its growth. Sown 
in February, they will produce onions one or two 
inches in diameter early in summer. Sown in 
July, they will be ready to pull late in autumn, 
and will keep sound for many monthSf retaining their 
most exquisite flavor. One of the very best onions 
for pickling, making fine, hard, brittle pickles, of 
attractive appearance. 

GOLDEN QUEEN OR GOLDEN GEM. 

This is identically the same as White Queen, 
except in color of skin. 

SILVER WHITE ETNA, OR EXTRA EARLY PEARL. 

A very fine variety that grows quickly to a 
good marketable size ; very popular, particularly 
in the South. The bulbs are round, flattened, 
with a delicate, pure white skin ; flesh very mild 
and pleasant in flavor. It is claimed to excel 
most other onions of Italian origin in keeping 
qualities. 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 



66 




GOIiDBN QUEEN ONION. 




GIANT WHITE ROCCA, OR SlI-VEK BALL ONION. 



66 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 



PALE RED ETNA, OR RED PEARL. 

This differs from the preceding chiefly in color 
of the skin, which is a light red. 

NEAPOLITAN MARZAJOLE. 

A large, beautiful, silvery-white-skinned variety, 
of handsome, flat shape, and of very fine quality. 
Sown in February or March, it will produce a 
splendid crop early in the season. Seed sown in 
July will mature a crop the same season. 




SILVER WHITE ETNA ONION. 



GIANT ROCCA, OF NAPLES. 

Of very mild, delicate flavor, immense size, 
handsome, globular shape, and light, reddish- 
brown skin. It is an excellent keeping onion, 
valuable alike for autumn and spring sowing. 
In this immediate vicinity Giant Eocca onions 
have been grown to weigh IJ to 1} pounds 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 



67 



eachy from seed sown in the spring. However, if 
the largest possible size is desired, the smallest 
bulbs should be set out in the spring of the 




GIANT BOCCA ONION. 



second season, when they will continue to in- 
crease in size, instead of producing seed, as is 
the case with American onions. 



58 



VARIETIES OP ONIONS. 




GIANT WHITK ITALIAN TBIPOU ONION. 




MAMMOTH POMPEII ONK>i«. 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 59 

GIANT RED ROCCA. 

This is very similar to the above, but has been 
selected with a view to a deeper red color of the 
skin. 

GIANT YELLOW ROCCA, OR GOLDEN GLOBE TRIPOLI. 

A very handsome onion, of immense size, with 
light yellow skin. 

GIANT WHITE ROCCA, OR SILVER BALL. 

This might be described as a mammoth White 
Globe Onion, although the bulbs are not so uniform 
in shape as our American White Globe. 

GIANT WHITE ITALIAN TRIPOLI. 

A very large, round, flat, white onion, sometimes 
called El Paso, or Large Mexican. It readily grows 
to weigh IJ pounds from the black seed the first 
season. 

RED MAMMOTH TRIPOLI, OR BERMUDA RED. 

Similar in shape and size to the Giant White 
Tripoli. Skin thin and of a rich blood-red color ; 
flesh white, fine-grained, mild and pleasant; of 
large growth. 

BURPEE'S MAMMOTH SILVER KING. 

The Mammoth Silver King Onion, named and 
introduced by us in 1884, grows to a most remark- 
able size — larger than any other variety in cultivation, 
excepting only the New Mammoth Pompeii. The 
bulbs are of attractive form, flattened, but thick 
through. The average diameter of the onions is 



60 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 




GIANT YELLOW ROCCA ONION, 




BED MAMMOTH TRIPOLI ONION. 



VARIETIES OF ONIONS. 61 

from 5 to 7J inches — thus making the circumfer- 
ence from 15 to 22 inches. Single bulbs often 
attain weights of from 2J to 4 pounds each, the 
first year from seed. The skin is a beautiful 
silvery white ; the flesh is snowy white, and of 
particularly mild and pleasant flavor. So sweet 
and tender is the flesh that it can be eaten raw, 
like an apple. The Silver King matures early 
and is uniformly of large size and perfect form. 

MAMMOTH POMPEII. 

This is another new Italian onion, of colossal 
proportions, having obtained the weight of over 
four pounds the first year from seed. Of round, 
flattened form but thick through, with reddish- 
brown skin and white flesh, of very mild flavor. 



ONION SETS. 



HOW TO GROW AND STORE THEM. 



While it does not pay to raise onion sets for the 
purpose of growing onions, as they can be raised 
so much more cheaply directly from the black seed, 
yet, raised as a crop to be sold for the use of small 
gardeners, they are quite profitable if well man- 
aged. The same directions given in the preceding 
essays apply equally to growing the crop of sets, in 
the selection of the situation and quality of the 
soil. It is not, however, necessary to manure the 
ground so heavily for young sets — as quantity, 
not size, is the result to be obtained. The sets 
should average only about one half-inch in diam- 
eter. It is even more important in growing sets 
that the land be free from the seeds of all noxious 
weeds than in the crop of onions, as they stand so 
much more thickly upon the ground that it is almost 
impossible to pull grass or other tenacious weeds 
from among them without pulling the young 
bulbs also. If much weeding has to be done, it 
also greatly increases the expense, and conse- 

6-3 



64 ONION sets; 

quently lessens the profit. The amount of labor 
and manure it takes to grow a crop of sets must 
be carefully considered in relation to the profits. 
With the expense for the large quantity of seed 
required the margin for profit is very small, unless 
the crop raised be a large one, and hence care and 
constant watchfulness should be exercised to make 
it profitable with the least expenditure of labor. 
In no case is the time-honored maxim " that a 
stitch in time saves nine " more applicable than 
in killing the weeds the instant they appear, or 
to prevent their appearance by frequent cultiva- 
tion. 

In growing sets on new ground (that is, ground 
that has not previously been planted in onions) 
they are more easily handled in following on 
ground that has been planted in some root crop, 
such as turnips or beets, as these leave the ground 
clean from weeds and litter and in a fine, friable 
condition. Where long, coarse manure is to be 
applied, it should be put on the fall previous and 
plowed well under, cross plowing in the spring 
to bring it up and have it mix thoroughly in the 
surface soil. If compost or commercial fertilizers 
are to be used, plow the ground in the fall and 
cross plow in the spring ; then, as soon as the plow- 
ing is done, apply the fertilizer, harrow and culti- 
vate the soil into the finest possible condition. If 
this cannot be accomplished with the cultivator 
and plow, then the plot must be gone over with a 
sharp steel rake where each row is to stand. A 



HOW TO GROW AND STORE THEM. 65 

better way, where the rows are to be planted 
closely, is to rake in windrows every six feet and 
then gather up and remove all the stones, sticks, 
etc., gathered by the rakes. 

Where the crop is to be worked with wheel hoes 
the rows may be sowed as closely as fourteen inches 
apart, but we prefer to sow in broad drills, two to 
three inches wide and two and a half to three feet 
apart, or as closely as it is possible to cultivate 
them without throwing dirt upon the young sets. 
The cultivator used for this purpose should have 
the teeth plates narrow, not over one and a half 
inches in breadth, so as to work the soil up loose 
and fine and not throw up ridges of dirt to smother 
the young sets; the narrower the blade of the cul- 
tivator hoe is, the nearer is it safe to work, thus 
diminishing the hand labor to be performed. In 
laying out the rows for sowing, a marker should 
be used, so as to get them at perfectly equal dis- 
tances apart, teeth being set in a piece of scantling 
for this purpose, at the proper distances apart for 
the rows, and a handle attached to pull it by. 
The first row is marked with the outside tooth 
against the line, afterward it tracks in the last 
row marked out. Where the seed is to be sown 
by hand, as is most frequently done, the teeth 
should be an inch and one-half or more in width 
and blunt pointed ; then, if the head piece or 
scantling is heavily weighted, it will make the 
drills all ready for sowing. Where a drill or sower 
is used, the marker should have small, sharp teeth, 
5 



66 ONION SETS; 

and be drawn lightly over the soil, just making a 
guide for the drill to follow. For sowing the seed 
by hand we would recommend the use of a small tin 
box, such as a baking-powder can, the diameter 
of which is the same as the width of the drill to 
be planted. The bottom of this is perforated with 
holes slightly larger than the diameter of the 
onion seed, but not large enough to allow two 
seeds to pass through the same hole at once. By 
filling this and lightly shaking it along the drill, 
it will sow very quickly and evenly. When 
the end of the row is reached, the sower, on his 
knees, travels back along the row, carefully cover- 
ing in the fine soil with both hands ; the depth is, 
of course, regulated in working the drills, and 
should vary from a scant half-inch in the heavy 
soils to a full inch in the lightest loam. The rows 
should be firmed with a light hand roller when 
planted. 

While it is not so important to get the crop in 
at the very earliest time possible, we would recom- 
mend plowing the whole plot at one time, but 
only preparing for sowing so much of the plot as 
can be sown in one day to prevent drying out. 

VARIETIES AND AMOUNT OF SEED TO BE SOWN. 

Ou.ly four varieties of onions are generally used 
for growing sets, namely : Extra Early Red, Yel- 
low Dutch or Strasburg, Yellow Danvers and 
White Portugal or Silver Skin, the two latter 
being mainly grown. The Red Wethersfield, 



HOW TO GROW AND STORE THEM. 67 

which is much grown for bulbs, is too strong grow- 
ing to form marketable sets ; besides, it so easily 
matures onions from the seed that there would be 
no object in raising and keeping over the sets, not 
to speak of the danger of its running to seed if 
treated in this manner. This applies also to the 
Italian varieties, which produce onions of im- 
mense size from seed. 

For the purpose of raising sets, we would re- 
commend the sowing of not less than fifty to sixty 
pounds of seed to the acre ; and if the exact size of 
the plot is not known, would suggest that a piece 
of ground two hundred and eight feet on each side 
contains one acre. This can be quickly estimated 
by counting the panels of the fence, which, ordi- 
narily, are ten feet in length. 

In cultivating and weeding, the same directions 
given in the Essays apply, excepting that the sets 
are not thinned. They should stand so thickly 
in the row as to touch each other when ripe, 
but not so thickly as to cause them to become 
misshapen. 

When the sets have attained their growth and 
begin to ripen off, the maturing can be facilitated 
by rolling an empty barrel over the rows, mash- 
ing the green tops. This checks the flow of sap to 
the tops and tends to hasten the ripening. 

In gathering the sets loosen them with a sharp 
steel rake, getting the teeth well under the bulbs, 
and rake lightly into windrows, rolling them over 
and over as much as possible to cleanse from any 



68 ONION SETS; 

adhering soil. If it is a dry time, they should be 
left in the windrows (not over two inches in 
depth) to sweat for a few days. Then gather 
up and spread them two inches thick on the floor 
of a cool loft or barn, or stack them in crates, as 
hereafter described. 

MANUFACTURE OF STORAGE CRATES. 
Crates can be made very cheaply, last a great 
many years if carefully handled, and will more 
than repay the cost of material and construction 
in a single season. They admit of storing large 
quantities of sets in the smallest possible space, 
and allow the air to circulate freely through all 
parts of the stack. The materials used in their 
construction are roofing lath one by two and 
a half inches, and plastering lath, which come 
four feet in length, one inch wide and half an 
inch thick. Of the roofing lath, make a square 
frame measuring four feet from outside to out- 
side one way and six feet the other way. This is 
nailed together the flat way of the stuff, the width 
of the pieces making the sides of the crate; a 
brace of the same stuff is nailed in the middle to 
further stifTen this frame; in a six-foot crate this 
should be the long way of the crate, so as to 
relieve the strain on the bottom. Nail all the 
corners as solidly as possible with ten-penny 
nails. Then laying this frame on the floor, cover 
one side of it with the plastering lath to form a 
bottom. Nail these on firmly with four-penny 



HOW TO GROW AND STORE THEM. 69 

nails to the sides and to the center brace, leaving 
a space of about half an inch between the laths; 
this is readily done by standing a lath up on edge 
close against the one just nailed and then nailing 
the next against the one on edge, which can then 
be pulled out, leaving the proper space for venti- 
lation. The sets are placed in these crates to the 
depth of two inches, and the crates are then piled 
one above another to the height of the room, 
pieces of the roofing lath being laid on each crate 
as it is put up, to make a two-inch air passage 
between the layer of sets in the one just stacked 
and the slatted bottom of the one above. The 
bottom crate should be raised at least four inches 
above the floor, not only to insure a good circu- 
lation of air, but also to allow the cats free passage 
to every part of the floor in pursuit of mice. We 
have been thus particular in the description of 
these crates, as the storing and wintering of the 
sets are matters of equal importance with the 
growing of them. Unless these details are care- 
fully attended to, the grower may suffer the loss 
of the whole crop stored ; either from rotting, 
if a free circulation of air is not kept up, or 
from sprouting, if kept too warm. The loft or 
storage room should have ventilators or win- 
dows at each end, and should have constant care 
to keep them well aired and the temperature as 
dry and cool as possible, just so that they do not 
freeze. In a large loft where they are kept over 
winter there should be stoves to maintain a low 



70 ONION SETS; 

fire on nights when there is great danger of freez- 
ing, but where these are used the crates should 
not be stacked within several feet of them, or the 
nearest ones will sprout and become worthless. 
Even when the fires are lighted, air must be 
admitted and the temperature kept as near the 
freezing point as possible. The necessity for firing 
can be largely done away with by fitting win- 
dows, ventilators and all cracks with strips of 
listing. We would also recommend these in- 
structions for storing and ^dntering the sets to 
the attention of the onion grower, as we believe it 
to be the best and surest manner of wintering the 
onion crop. 

It has also the great advantage over other 
methods of enabling the grower to market or ship 
all or any part of his crop at a moment's notice, 
thus being able to take advantage of any scarcity 
or rise in the market. Where the crates are not 
at hand, the sets may be wintered by leaving 
them in piles six to twelve inches deep on the 
floor, and covering them with successive layers of 
hay as the weather goes down below the freezing 
point; but, though we have known this to be suc- 
cessfully done, it requires a great deal of judg- 
ment, and we would advise all who have not the 
crates and storage facilities to sell their crop to the 
large dealers who make a business of handling 
them as soon as they are cleaned and soiled. Even 
if the price realized is not so large, "the bird in 
the hand is much safer than the two in the bush." 



HOW TO GROW AND STORE THEM. 71 

CLEANING AND SORTING. 

This is to be done the first opportunity after 
they are thoroughly dried, but if they are to 
be carried through the winter, we would leave 
them in the crates till winter, when the hands 
can be profitably employed in this work without 
interfering with other farm work, one crate being 
emptied by each pair of hands, and, as cleaned, 
sorted into another. The cleaning is done by 
rubbing them around and pulling off with the 
fingers all tops and roots that do not separate 
from the bulbs when they are gently rubbed 
against each other and the slatted bottom of the 
crate. The sorting is quickly performed by run- 
ning them through a grain fan sieve, or other 
sieve having meshes three-quarters of an inch 
in diameter. Those which will not pass through 
are too large for sets, grade as pickling onions, 
and can be sold to pickle factories. 



JUST PDBLISHED, 1888 ! A New Bool[ on Gardening: 

HOW AND WHAT 

to Grow in a Kitchen Garden 

OF ONE ACRE. 

Bt E. D. DARLINGTON and L. M. MOLL. 
Edited by W. ATLEE BURPEE. 



FULLY ILLUSTRATED. PRICE, SO CTS. IN PAPER ; 7B CTS. IN CLOTH. 



I 



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PHILADELPHIA, PA., AND LONDON, ENGLAND. 



PRICE 30 CENTS. 



HOV TO GEOW 

ONIONS; 

WITH NOTES ON VARIETIES. 



■5^- 
W--^' 



T. GREINER, of New Jersey, 

AND 

Col. C. H. AKLIE, of Oregon. 



EDITED BY 

W. ATLEE BURPEE. 







1 

PUBLISHED BY 

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., Seed Gkoweks, 

Nos. 475 AND 477 North Fifth Street, 

Nos. 476 AND 478 York Avenue, 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

0D00^1t.77flA 



